This was our first time cruising on Holland America (HAL), we usually cruise on NCL & we chose the ship because it sailed further upriver on the St.Lawrence. While smaller than the smallest of Norwegian ships, the Zaandam carries only 1,432 passengers compared to our favourite ship, the Gem which carries 2,394 passengers. The demographic of the passengers was also much older than NCL ships, with ...
We loved most of the ports especially PEW. The staff went out of their way to make my 50th birthday cruise special. I received a decorated cupcake in my room, a birthday cake for our table at dinner and $50 each for my husband and I to use at the spa.
I have made a vlog about it on youtube on my channel iheartnationalparks.
We loved Montreal and Quebec and PEI the best. Boston was good and I ...
Holland America cruise
Embarkation.
If arriving at Montreal airport or dropping off rental vehicle at the Montreal airport and you wish to get an Uber ride to the cruise terminal, you must wait for your Uber car at the departure level outside door 7. There are clearly marked overhead signs & road markings indicating you are in the correct area. (See picture) It’s about a 30 min drive to ...
I have been holding off because I hate to complain but I gave them the 3-5 weeks they asked for our refund and after several calls and emails still nothing is resolved. On June 4th we took the New England/Canada cruise. We where delayed over an hour on departure and once again my gifts that where to be in the room for my wife's birthday where not there. Same as our Alaskan cruise. The TV had less ...
Had to be bussed 4 hours to the second port because the ship was under repair. Had to wait in the lobby for hours for a bus because they had no idea when we would go. We were compensated $75 for the trouble. Communication for Immigration back into the country and tendering were also very poorly handled.
The good news was the food was better than other lines I’ve been on and the ship was ...
I chose this cruise because of the itinerary. I really wanted to do the east coast of Canada. And the departure from Montreal was very appealing. The destinations did not disappoint. I was totally charmed by the east coast, and will definitely return!
The reason that I felt compelled to write the review was because of the outstanding service and dining on this ship. I have been on many ...
I think this particular cruise is all about expectations. We read the reviews... older boat, older crowd, not the best entertainment, etc, etc. Because we already knew this going in, we had a wonderful time! We took out 12 and 5 year old kids and we had 2 oceanview staterooms (2525 and 2529).
Pros:
The food was overall very good. The buffet tasted like normal cruise food, but the dining ...
This was my third Holland America cruise. My two prior experiences were very good. Food in the main dining room in the past was good to excellent. On my past trips there was sufficient entertainment and on board activities. Not so on this cruise. Food in the main dining room was okay to poor. On the gala evening, the lobster in the surf and turf was old and cooked to death. So too was the ...
This was our second cruise with HAL. The first was through the Panama Canal and was memorable. This one was more memorable for the Cons than the Pros:
Pros:
We like the Neptune suites because they are spacious and there is access to the Neptune Lounge, breakfast in the Pinnacle Restaurant, the complementry laundry, and the Concierge who is very helpful for anything that comes up.
The ...
There were 2 couples sailing on this cruise (fifth we have done together), we chose it for the itinerary. The embarkation was flawless. We arrived at the cruise terminal and we finished all the paperwork and were boarding the ship by noon, half hour or so. The ship is older but quite lovely and well maintained. We were in Vista suite 7050 and our friends were next door. The room steward opened the ...